Uničov – Town of Baroque

Most of Uničov’s monuments come from the Baroque period. Moravian Baroque (defined by the years 1550 to 1750) follows the tradition of Italian Baroque sculpture. Baroque arrived in our country, along with extensive re-catholicisation efforts, after the Peace of Westphalia and the tumultuous White Mountain events. Initially, the new style was brought in by artists originating in Italy and Germany. Under the influence of local artists, the style brought from abroad gradually turned into a domestic style. Works of art in the Baroque style can therefore be found in all parts of Bohemia and Moravia, creating a purely Czech Baroque landscape.

Uničov was also hit by this boom in Baroque in the first half of the 18th century. The creators exploiting the heritage of Matthias Bernard Braun include two famous people from Uničov – Jiří Antonín Heinz and Severin Stolař Tichler – both of whom, in conjunction with their assistants, participated in the decoration of Uničov’s most famous Baroque monument – the Plague Pillar, of the Virgin Mary Pillar. Another group is comprised of anonymous works, which amaze us with their plain, popular form.